Pad box



Sept. 18, 1951 H. GULBRANDSEN PAD Box Filed Nov. 23, 1949 Patented Sept. 18, 1951 PAD BOX Helge Gulbrandsen, Beverly,v Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 23, 1949,Serial No. 128,934

Claims.

- This invention relates to apparatus for operatimproved pad box of simple construction 'adapted to operate particularly on womensshoes havinga wide range of heel heights.

To this end and in accordance with a feature of the invention, a pressure applying pad is carried .by relatively movable forepart, shank and heel supporting members, the forepart and heel supporting members being pivoted together and capable of simultaneous angular adjustments in 1 opposite directions, the heel supporting member being supported independently of the forepart and shank supporting members and being. capable of independent angular adjustment. The forward end of the heel supporting member rests on a support in the pad box for rocking movement thereon, the rearward portion of the heel supporting member being carried by a support. adjustable as to height thereby to vary the inclination of the heel supporting member. The heel supporting member is guided for adjustment by a shaft carrying the support for the heel support-, ing member, the shaft being received in a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot'in a plate depending from the heel supporting member.

The above and other features of the invention, including novel details of construction and combinations of part will now be described by reference to the drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing,

The single figure is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of pad box in which the invention is embodied, illustrating a shoe positioned thereon for the pressure applying operation.

The pad box is illustrated as generally similar to that shown in Letters Patent of the United State 2,047,185 granted July 14, 1936 on an application filed in the name of M. H. Ballard et al., except for the means by which the water bag of that patent is supported. As shown herein a water bag l0 having a filling opening in its bottom, closed by a plug 12, is carried by forepart, shank and heel supporting members I4, [6 and i8- respectively. The forepart supporting member M has depending legs formed with flat supporting surfaces 22 which rest on a sleeve 24 extending between side plates or walls 25 of the pad box. The sleeve 24 forms a member by which 2 the plates 26 are maintained in spaced relation, a bolt 28 passing through the sleeve and side plates to maintain them in assembled relation, as shown in the Ballard et a1. patent.

The rearward portion of the forepart supporting member l4 and the forward portion of the shank supporting member I6 are pivotally con+ nected by a shaft 30, the ends of which project outwardly through arcuate slots 32 in the plates 26 and; carry gear segments 34. The slot 32 forms aguide for the shaft 3|] and consequently for the forepart and shank supporting members upon vertical adjustment of th'e'shaft. Racks 36 secured to the side plates '26 cooperate with the gear segments 34 so that upon rotation of the shaft 30 heightwise movement is imparted to it, thus simultaneously adjusting in opposite directions the angular positions of, the forepart and shank supporting members. For turning the shaft 30 a handle 38 is secured thereto, the upper end of the handle being provided with a Spring pressed plunger arranged to enter one of .a series ofholes 42 in'a plate 44 carried by one of the side walls 26. By withdrawing the plunger 40 from engagement with the plate 44 the shaft3ll can be rotated to adjust the relative angular positions of the forepart and shank supporting members and the shaft may be locked'in any one of a. plurality of positions by engagement of the plunger with one of the holes 42. It will be understood that. during the adjustment of the forepart supporting member it will partake of a slight movement lengthwise of the pad boxand, will rock about the axis of the sleeve 24 by whichthe legs 20 are supported. These legs are provided with holes46 to accommodate a tie rod 48 con-. necting the side plates 26, the holes being of sufli cient size to permit the desired movement of the forepart supporting member with respect to the tie rod. I

The rearward portion of the shank supporting member [6 is carried by a support 50 having an arouate supporting surface. It will be understood that during adjustment of the forepart and shank supporting members the shank supporting member will have a slight lengthwise movement with respect "to the pad box and will rock about the support 59. The support 50 also carries the forward end of the heel supporting member l8 which, however, is mounted in the pad box entirely independently of the shank supporting member I6. Thus it is possible to adjust the forepart and shank supporting members if desired without adjusting the heel supporting member.

However, to accommodate shoes of various heel 3 heights without the necessity of employing an insert under the shoe engaging pad for the extreme heel heights, provision is made for moving the heel supporting member between the full line position illustrated and the broken line position.

Depending from the heel supporting member are side plates 52 having formed therein downwardly and, forwardly inclined slots 54. Passing through these slots and journaled in the side plates 26 is a shaft 56 having pinned thereto a handle 58 by which the operator can turn the shaft. Alsocarried by the shaft 56 is a pair of blocks or cams 60 which are generally rectangular in shape and which are each provided with a curved corner 62 to facilitate movement of the cams by the shaft 56 to present either one of two sides of these cams to bearing surfaces 64 formed on the underside of the heel supporting member l8.:= It will be understood that upon movement of the. handle 58 in a clockwise direction through an angle of about 90 the long side of each cam 50 is presented to its bearing surface 54 and the heel supportin member assumes the lower or broken line position illustrated. It will be further'miderstoodthat the cams may have any desired shape andrmay be designed to permit adjustment of the heel supporting member into any one of many different positions. The side wall 26 adjacent to the handle 58 may be provided with an outwardly projecting pin 66 to limit the movement of the shaft 56 in a counterclockwise direction, by engagement of the handle with the pin.

The inclinations of the slots 54 in the plates 62 are such that the forward upper corner of the heel supporting member remains in substantially the same position during the adjustment of the heel supporting member into either of its extreme positions. The gap between the shank and heel supporting members is bridged by a flexible sheet metal plate 68 secured at its rearward portion to the heel supporting member, and resting in sliding relation on the rearward portion of the shank supporting member.

Whereas a water bag has been-illustrated herein as carried by the pad supporting members it will be understood that other forms of pad members may be employed in place thereof. One form of pad member which would be suitable is illustrated in application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 87,227, filed April 13, 1949 in'the name of C. K. Woodman, ora suitably slit solid rubber pad may be employed.

Carried by the water bag or other pad member is a pressure applying pad it which is constructed to partake of the shape assumed by the Water bag and to provide in it upper surfacea contour similar to that of a shoe bottom to be operated upon. One form of pad which may be employed for this purpose is illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,205,400 granted June 25, 1940 on an application filed in the name of Sidney J. Finn, although any suitable form of pad may be used forthis purpose. The pad illustrated herein differs from that showninthe patent in that fewer rubber members 12 of somewhat greater thickness are employed tounderlie the shank portion of the shoe. By thus reducing the number of rubber members-it has been found possible to eliminate the metallic casings for each rubber section of the pad. The forepart portion of the pad is confined by a frame 1 8' guided for vertical movement by rearwardly extending links H3 pivoted at '73 to'the side walls 25. The pad lfl'is provided-with a suitable cover of leather or the like against which the shoe bottom is pressed, clips 82 being provided to maintain the cover in place at the rearward portion of the pad. A mask plate 84 maintains the pad cover in place at the forepart portion of the pad box.

From the above it will be seen that a pad box of simple construction has been provided in which the forepart, shank and heel supporting pad members are easily adjusted to accommodate shoes having a wide range of heel heights. The

supporting members are illustrated as positioned to accommodate an extremely high heel shoe. If a flatter shoe is to be acted upon, the handle 38 is adjusted in a clockwise direction to raise the shaft 30 connecting the forepart and shank supporting-members, thus decreasing the angularity between the members. Likewise the handle 58 may be turned so that the heel supporting member is lowered into the broken line position. This heel supporting member has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wallBfi to confine the rearward portion of the water bag.

Having thus described my invention whatI claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

'1. In a pad box, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, relatively movable members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of the pad, means interconnecting the forepart and shank supporting members for simultaneous angular adjustments in opposite directions, means for'supporting the heel supporting member independently of 'the forepart and shank supporting members, said supporting means including means for adjusting theangular, position of the heel supporting member, said heel supporting member having a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot, and 'a'member'passingthrough said slot for guiding the heel supporting member in its adjustments.

2. In apad box, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, relatively movable members .for supporting the forepart, shank andheel portions of the pad, means interconnecting the forepart and shank supporting members for simultaneous angular adjustments in opposite directions, means for supporting the heel :supporting member independently ofthe forepart'and shank supporting members, said supporting means including a cam for adjusting the angular position of the heel support ing member, a shaft extending transversely of said pad box for supporting'said cam, said heel supporting member having a portion engageable with said cam, and a depending portion provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot the'edges of which are engageable with said shaft for guiding the heel supporting member in its adjustments.

3. In a pad box, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, relatively movable members for supporting the forepart, shankand heel portions of the pad, means pivotallyconnecting the adjacent portions of said forepart and shank supporting members about an axis extending transversely of the pad, means supporting the outer ends of said forepart and shank'supporting members for rocking and sliding movements, means for adjusting the heightwise position of said pivotal connecting means, means for supporting the forward end of said heel supporting member adjacent to but independently of said shank supporting member for rocking and sliding movements, and means for vertically adjusting the rearward end of said heel supporting member.

4. In a pad box, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, relatively movable members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of the pad, means pivotally connecting the adjacent portions of said forepart and shank supporting members about an axis extending transversely of the pad, means supporting the outer ends of said forepart and shank supporting members for rocking and sliding movements, means for adjusting the heightwise position of said pivotal connecting means, means for supporting the forward end of said heel supporting member adjacent to but independently of said shank supporting member for rocking and sliding movements, means for vertically adjusting the rearward end of said heel supporting member, said heel supporting member having a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot, and a member passing through said slot'for guiding the heel supporting member in its adjustments.

5. In a pad box, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, relatively movable members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of the pad, means pivotally connecting the adjacent portions of said forepart and shank supporting members about an axis extending transversely of the pad, means supporting the outer ends of said forepart and shank supporting members forrocking and sliding movements, means for adjusting the heightwise position of said pivotal connecting means, means for supporting the forward end of said heel supporting member adjacent to'but independently of said shank supporting member for rocking and sliding movements, means for vertically adjusting the rearward end of said heel supporting member comprising a cam -fby which the rearward portion of said heel supporting member is carried a shaft extending transversely of said pad box carrying said cam, saidfiheel supporting member having a depending pQrtion provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined slot the edges of which are engageable lwith said shaft for guiding the heel supporting member in its adjustments. HELGE GULBRANDSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

